Losing Control, Finding a Home
by ReKoJ
Summary: This is a story that I am writing by the request of boothandboneslove. In this story, both Loki and Clint were being controlled by the Tesseract. This is the aftermath (I know that this summary sucks but read the story anyway).
1. Chapter 1

Loki sat in the holding cell of the great hall. He never thought that he would end up there. He knew that there would be consequences to his actions. He knew from the moment that he felt the Tesseract in his mind, taking over his body, using him as a pawn that his life was over. He knew for certain that once the Tesseract had everything that it wanted he would die. There had been a voice in his head; controlling him that he had been powerless to stop. He'd tried explaining that to Thor and Thor had just shaken his head.

Loki had begged Thor to listen to him and Thor hoping that it wasn't another one of Loki's tricks had. Once Thor began to really listen to what his brother was saying he realized that he was telling the truth. Loki had described his feelings of betrayal and desperation as he was thrown into the abyss, that he was prepared to die but just before he would have fallen, there was a strange voice and then he had been surrounded by a blue light. It felt cold and the blue light seemed to be everywhere, it went into his eyes, his ears, up his nose, the inside of his mouth, it invaded every pore of his skin. He could feel it, this blue energy, it was like electro shocks through his brain, seeping into his mind. It felt like someone had stuffed his head with cotton; it made everything feel distant and fuzzy.

It was almost like being part of an unknown audience, watching a play where he was the main character. He had no control over his body. He had no choice but to do as the Tesseract commanded, despite that most of the time it was doing precisely the opposite of what he wanted.

When Thor had first walked in, he had looked at him with nothing but sympathy and compassion. While Loki had been trying to explain to Thor what had happened, why he would put his brother's friends and love interest at risk Thor listened patiently. Once Loki had finished his tale, much to his surprise Thor stayed silent. Loki had wanted to beg Thor to say something but he knew that to be unwise, with the way that Thor was looking at him, he knew that he was already on shaky ground. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he could feel Thor slipping through his fingers. He wanted to weep.

Thor had gripped Loki's shoulder. "Be that as it may, that does not excuse what you have done. I knew something had changed within you and I had hoped that you were not too far gone. Then there was that moment, when we both stood atop Tony's tower, after the Chitauri had slipped through the portal before you had stabbed me; when we were both looking at the chaos and for a moment I saw a glimmer of fear and despair on your face. I knew then that it was not too late but you still must answer for the crimes you have committed. When Father calls you into the Judgement Hall I shall go with you. I may not understand your motives but you are still my brother, I will not let him sentence you to death."

Thank you Thor." Loki bowed his head in a sign of gratitude.

"Do not thank me yet, for I do not know if I will be successful but I will try." Thor had sat beside his brother to wait; all the while hoped that this was not a trick. It seemed like an eternity for both brothers but finally Loki was called into the Judgment Hall. As was the Asgardian custom, Loki clicked one heel against the other, and then folded his hands in front of him as he awaited his punishment.

Odin looked upon his son. "Loki, for your crimes against the human race and attempting to forge an alliance with the Chitauri and wage a war against an innocent race, the penalty is death."

Loki bowed his head as he waited for Thor to interfere. For one terrifying moment he thought that Thor's promise to plead with his father for leniency had been a joke, a final act of insult and cruelty. Not that Loki didn't think that he didn't deserve it but it would be dreadful to die alone.

Thor stood behind Loki, placing a hand on one of Loki's thin shoulders. "Father, I beg of you and this court to show leniency upon Loki. He may be mischievous but he's not a butcher of innocent people. At the time of the release of the Chitauri he was under the control of the Tesseract. His actions were not his own."

Odin thought and considered all the possibilities. He loved Loki as a son, had raised him along side his own without a second thought. "Very well. But your sentence will not be served here but on Midgard." Odin had stuck his staff towards Loki, "and do not tempt me by using your powers to cause harm to anyone. Do that and you'll be brought here and put to death. Understand?"

Loki nodded his head in agreement. He didn't trust his voice.

Thor offered Loki a small but sincere smile. He knew that Loki would not have such an easy time on Midgard but at least he was still alive. Loki was hauled to stand up straight and he was walked down to the bi-frost; he'd been surprised that Thor followed.

"I told Father I was going to Midgard to visit Lady Jane. It is a half truth. I am going to visit Lady Jane but before I do I want to ensure that my friends, The Avengers do not kill you the moment that they see you."

Loki hugged his brother. "I know not how to express my gratitude."

Thor put a brotherly kiss on the top of Loki's head. "Promise me; give me your word that you will honour Father's conditions. I was able to bargain for your life once, I am not certain I shall be able to do it again."

Loki locked eyes with Thor. "I shall. I give thanks to you for all you have done for me and for accompanying me to Midgard."

As they stepped on the platform Thor shook his head, "Think nothing of it, Brother."


	2. Chapter 2

Tony, Natasha, Steve and Bruce all sat on one side of the room, Phil and Clint sat on another with Nick Fury standing between them. It had come to light that Phil was alive and although the team had been happy to see him; it was clear that for the time being something was strained between Clint and Phil.

Clint was sitting beside Phil on a couch, staring at his hands. His shoulders were hunched, he had refused to look up and he looked completely defeated. Phil had his arm around Clint's shoulders, glaring at the people on the other side of the room; almost as if he was daring them to argue about Clint's presence in the room.

Nick just shook his head at the group of disgruntled superheroes. "I find this ridiculous. You're adults, get past this and get along. I have enough to deal with. The WSC wants to know who's responsible for the deaths of over 80 people, they want someone held accountable. I have to try to convince-" Nick was cut off by a rumble of thunder and a flash of lightening.

"What the-" Was all that Steve managed to say before Thor was standing in the doorway. The way Thor was standing he was shielding Loki from their view, he knew that the reception wouldn't be a welcoming one.

Steve broke the silence. "Thor? What are you doing here?"

Thor grabbed Loki's hand, squeezed it gently before letting go and placing Loki in front of him. Loki closed his eyes against their hate-filled stares, he was fighting the urge to bow his head just so that he wouldn't have to look at any of them and feel their hatred. He was forcing himself to stand tall like the royalty that he was, no matter how dire the situation seemed; he would not allow them to see a weakness.

Clint was seething with anger. "What is he doing here? He should be rotting in an Asguardian prison, isolated on a barren moon or dead."

Thor put his hand up to silence Clint's tirade. "Be careful how you proceed." At the same time Phil had put his hand on Clint's shoulder and squeezed gently prompting him to be quiet. "Loki is being punished; but not in the manner that you think. Odin, my Father has ruled that his sentence is to be served here, on Midgard."

"Like hell." Clint muttered, receiving a warning glare from Phil.

Steve ignored Clint's comment. "'I'm sure that there is a perfectly good reason for Odin's decision, right Thor?"

Thor nodded while crossing his arms over his chest. "Indeed. Just as your able bodied Archer had been under the control of the Tesseract so had my brother. My father felt it was a most fitting punishment, seeing as it was the humans he had sought to destroy and it was the humans who had suffered. My Father knows that it was not Loki's fault, that he was not in control of his actions but he also knows that the damage that was done was severe and that punishment must be served. But I am fearful of what may happen to him if he is left unprotected."

Tony looked up from his tablet, he opened his mouth as if to say something but Steve silenced him by placing a hand up.

"You have nothing to fear. I will watch over him. But if he lies or tries any of his usual tricks I will not be held responsible for what happens to him." Steve replied.

Thor nodded. "He had already been warned by Father."

Clint clicked his tongue. "Why don't you watch him? He's your brother." His tone was dripping with anger.

"I cannot. My anger has clouded my mind, I love him but I cannot trust myself." Thor pushed Loki ever so slightly towards Steve. "I entrust his safety unto you." Thor clapped his hand on Loki's shoulder, looking into his brother's eyes for what he knew would be the last time. "Good bye Brother."

Loki nodded; knowing he could not show how weak he really was. If he was to remain among people who hated him, distrusted him and wanted him dead; he would do so with dignity.

As Thor left, Loki turned to Steve, "What would you have me do now?"

Nick Fury looked at both men. "The WSC will want to talk to him. I'll go set up a meeting."

Steve nodded. "Good. Until then he can stay with me." Steve stood at his full height, daring anyone to say anything.

Tony stood next to Nick. "I have a room in the tower that has a walk-in closet that leads to another room. The two of you can share that space."

"Thank you." Was Loki's response. Tony just hoped that he was doing the right thing. Tony walked out with mostly everyone following. Soon Loki and Steve were the only two left in the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Nick Fury stood in front of the blinking monitors. The WSC had agreed to meet with himself, Loki, Clint, Steve and Phil. He knew that this wasn't going to end well but at the same time, the sooner they got this done, the sooner they could put everything behind them. So now the five of them were standing in the small meeting room while one by one the blinking screens stabilized and filled with a face.

Clint kept his eyes straight ahead but he was not focusing on anything. Phil was standing behind him, both of his hands firmly planted on the archer's shoulders. Loki was standing next to Clint, his gaze straight ahead, focused on a crack on the wall behind one of the screens. Steve was standing behind him, his arms folded across his chest. Nick was standing in front of them all, staring at the screens; he was clearly pissed off.

In the middle screen there was a blond woman in a business suit, who in Clint's opinion looked like a total bitch. She was staring right at Clint; he was mentally picturing what she would look like with an arrow protruding from her forehead.

"I understand that you believe that these two men were under some form of mind control. But that hardly brings any closure or sense of justice to the families of the victims. It is the suggestion of this council that both Agent Clinton Francis Barton and the creature known as Loki should be imprisoned in the isolation cells within SHIELD headquarters. There they will not be able to harm anyone." She clicked her pen as she spoke; Clint wanted to stab her with it.

Phil felt Clint tense. Clint wasn't letting anything show on his face but he was terrified. He knew what happened when you were put there. You were locked in a room, with no way of communication and very few visitors. The only regular visitors you received were the guards that brought your meals three times a day, and you were stripped of all SHIELD technology. For Clint this would mean being deaf for hell knew how long. SHIELD had very strict protocols when it came to visitors; it could be months before they allowed someone to bring his spare hearing aids.

Loki didn't say anything. He didn't particularly care for being called a creature but he supposed it would do.

Nick Fury tightened his shoulders, glaring at the council. "There is no way that I'm going to allow that to happen. Agent Barton is one of the best snipers we have; and I don't think that Thor would take too kindly to us throwing his brother in a hole."

The man to the far left spoke. "We can't have them running loose. Clint is a trained killer and Loki has already demonstrated the kind of violence, destruction and chaos that he is capable of."

Steve straightened his stance; even Fury thought that the man looked intimidating. "They aren't going to be a threat. Thor has placed Loki's well-being in my hands and I'll be damned if I am going to fail at that because of you." The blond woman in the middle opened her mouth as if to interrupt, "Please let me finish ma'am. And if you think for a minute that Phil is going to let you just seal his fiancé in a room and leave him there, you have another thing coming."

Phil could feel Clint relax. He gently rubbed Clint's shoulders. They were usually very quiet about their relationship; Clint was uncomfortable with most forms of physical affection. The explanation for that came early on in their relationship: even before the circus, as a child, most of the time when his father touched him it was to hurt him (and this carried on to almost every important male in his life). So he learned it was easier and safer to avoid all forms of physical contact.

Phil, on the other hand was a tactile person. He needed to touch you and he needed to be touched. He needed to know that for all his rigid control, you were still there when everything went dark. Phil was snapped back into reality as he heard Fury clear his throat, clearly irritated with whatever had transpired within the room while Phil had been in his head.

A middle-aged General had furrowed his brow. "The council has a lot to discuss; we'll reconvene in a day or two. In the meantime Agent Coulson and Captain Rogers will be taking full responsibility for the two in question. Any trouble that they cause will be on your hands. Understand?"

Steve nodded curtly. "Yes Sir."

Phil just replied, "Yes General." And then the screens went blank.

Fury turned to the four men. "That could have gone better."

Clint sagged against Phil's chest visibly exhausted. Loki just closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. He couldn't remember the last time that he had been this tired; he wasn't even sure what was keeping him awake.

Fury seemed to pick up on all of that. "Look, they seem exhausted. Go home and get some sleep, there isn't much that can be done right now anyway."

Phil nodded and steered Clint to the door by his shoulders. Loki turned as if to walk when he suddenly just crumpled to the ground; although he never actually hit the ground because Steve had caught him.

Nick seemed overly concerned (for being Fury). "Get him to bed."

"Yes Sir." Was all that Steve said as he picked Loki up, one hand under his neck, the other under his knees. As Steve walked outside he was slightly concerned with how light Loki was. While buckling him into the backseat he made a mental note that when Loki woke up they were going to have to talk.


	4. Chapter 4

Loki awoke on a bed, one which he recognized immediately. He was in his room in the tower. He sat up slowly and blinked to try and kick his sleep fogged brain into gear. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed as he took in the room. It was true that he'd been there the other night but he'd been so tired that he'd fallen asleep without taking the time to look.

The room was simply but elegantly decorated. The walls were a dark green with golden leaves around the top, just below the ceiling. The curtains had the same pattern. The sheets on the bed were dark green silk as were the pillow cases. The comforter was the same dark green but instead of gold trim it had white. The bed was solid oak and big enough to hold four gown men. Instead of the traditional head and foot boards, there were tall bed posts with vines carved all the way up them.

There was a dresser made of the same oak as the bed. A bookcase with a few books and a vanity. The vanity was black and on its surface was a hairbrush, a comb and a pack of green elastics.

Loki shook his head, obviously amused. He couldn't recall if the room had looked like that on the first night; but he doubted it. He'd just managed to stand when there was a light knock on his door.

"Come." He sat back on the bed, hit with a sudden wave of dizziness. He was surprised to see Steve Rogers standing in his doorway.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. Last night, at the meeting you had fainted."

Loki offered his own smile. "Jumping from one world to another is not as easy as Thor would have you believe. It can take a lot out of you."

Steve offered his own smile, while shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Are you okay now?"

Loki stood up but didn't make a move to walk towards the other man. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm not as fragile as you would like to think. I've been in worse shape."

"Why don't you come downstairs and join us for a late breakfast?" Steve looked hopeful.

"I don't think that is wise. I know that I'm not liked very much. They don't trust me and I am certain that I'm not wanted here. I'm only here because Stark is afraid of what my brother would do to him if I am hurt. I'm not saying that these feelings aren't warranted."

Steve stepped closer to Loki. "Everyone makes mistakes. I didn't decide to stick up for you because I was afraid of Thor. I did it because I saw the fear and remorse in your eyes. As long as I am here, no one is going to hurt you and no one is going to throw you in a cell to rot. I will protect you and I will keep you safe."

Loki wanted to hug him; he would do anything to feel safe but he forced himself to stay put. "Why? You hate bullies and I was most definitely a bully."

Steve shook his head. He needed to make Loki understand. "Look. For starters, I know that you were being controlled by the Tesseract. It wasn't really you. If I'm going to condemn you then I might as well so the same to Clint; if I did that Phil would have my ass. He may idolize me but he loves Clint and would do anything to protect him. And everyone deserves a second chance. "

Loki studied his hands willing his voice not to shake. "You seriously think that? Even after everything that has happened?"

Steve put both of his hands on Loki's shoulders. He had to resist the urge to cup his face or thread his fingers through Loki's thick, black hair. He shook his head, trying to clear the invisible fog. He had no idea where his feelings for Loki came from or that he could have feelings for Loki but he needed them to stop. He knew that he needed to protect him but he couldn't let it go further than that.

"Loki, what happened was not your fault. For me to hold you responsible would be like, us hold Clint responsible. The sooner you accept that no one is blaming you, at least no one in the tower; the sooner your own healing process can start."

Loki was still staring at his hands, not willing himself to meet Steve's gaze. He wanted to believe that Steve believed what he was saying but he'd seen the anger in Clint's eyes when he'd first walked into the tower.

Steve sighed. He needed for Loki to believe him. He put his hand under Loki's chin. "Look at me."

Loki lifted his head and slowly dragged his eyes up to Steve's face.

"Do I look like I'm lying to you?" Loki shook his head. "Do you think that I would go through all of this just to humour you?" Again Loki shook his head. "I promised your brother that I would look after you and that is exactly what I'm going to do."

Loki pushed himself forward, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist as he laid his head on his shoulder. "Thank you." He took a deep breath, letting it out shakily as the tears that he'd been holding back, slowly made their way down his face.

Steve said nothing. He just gently rubbed Loki's back as he wondered how anyone couldn't believe him. He was obviously remorseful. Steve figured it was punishment enough that he'd been banished from his home. "Why not come down and have something to eat?"

Loki let go of Steve. "I'm not really hungry."

Steve just shook his head. "You have to eat. You don't have to talk to anyone and if anyone says anything to you, I'll handle it." Steve held out his hand. "Please?"

Loki took Steve's hand. "Okay."

Together they walked down the hall to the elevator. Steve had a feeling that meal time would be interesting to say the least.


End file.
